Rail brake for railway cars



Aug. 13, 17929. T. ELLloT-r 1,724,266

RAIL BRAKE `FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 5, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR. THOMAS ELL/OTT',

Aug. 13, 1929. vT. ELLIOTT I' RAIL BRAKE FOR RAILWAY GARS Filed Aug. 5.1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. THOMAS ELLIOTT,

A TTORNEYS.

Allg. 13, 1929. T, ELLlOTT ,1,724,266

RAIL BRAKE FOR RAILWAYCARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 5, 1926 INVENTOR.

THOMAS ELLIOTT,

mn M r y A TTORNEYS.

llilntented .dingo llt, llhdhh lEtAli.. BlElLiKE EUR MILVTAW' CARS.

Application filed .august 5, 1926. Serial No. 127,453.

rlhis invention relates to rail brakes tor railway cars, moreparticularly the type known as electrically operated cars where anelectric motor is employed.

rll`his invention is kindred t-o that set forth in my ltatent No.1,645,741, (let. i8, 192i, in so tar as concerns the general teature otsiispending the rail brake shoes a sai'c distance from the rails, thenrepositioning them to a point where they are within a magnetic iieldestablished between the shoes and the rails by magnetizing the shoes,and thence magnetically drawing and applying the shoes to and againstthe rails; but ditters trom said other invention in the means and modeot closing the solenoid circuit utilized in positioning the shoes to apoint within the magnetic iield and closing the magnet brake circuitutilized to magnetize the shoes.

lin other Lwords the present invention is directed to a pneumatic meansoi opening and closing said two circuits the solenoid and magnet brakecircuits..

llnthe accompanying drawings,

litigare 1 is a view, essentially diagrammatic, showing the pneumaticpipe lines and pneumatic motor utilized in operating the switch devicei'or opening and closing the i solenoid and magnet brake circuits;

litig. 1u is an enlarged detailed view showing the double air valve andportions ot the ntstraigzght airline and emergency air line pipes andthe pipe from the double valve to the air cyiinderg liligure 2 is a`side elevation, on an enlarged scale, ot' a truck and my improved railbrake mounted thereon` the normal position of the shoes being indicatedin full lines, the upper dotted lines indicatingl the magnetic ieldposition and the lower dotted lines the rail contact or brakingposition;

Figure d is a detail view, partly in elevation and part-ly in section,ot the magnetic housing' and shoes with the supporting 'beam and ot thepositioning solenoid and its lever devices with its attaching brachet.;

Figure 1l: is a plan view of the housing Jlor the magnets for creatingthe magnetic field, with part of the truck beam shown in sec tion;

Figure 5 is a detail transverse sectional view ot the magnet housing andthe shoes, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of lligure 6;

litigure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the casingand contained n'iagnets showing one of the shoes in side elevation.

lin Figure 1, the numeral 1 designates the inotornians air valve usedtor the quick admission of air from the supply pipe 2 to the usualcylinder ot the air engine employed in applying the brakes, in whichcase the air under pressure passes 'from a storage tanlr 1a through thepipe 2, the valve 1 and either the emergency pipe line 3 or the straightair line t5 t'or ordinary braking. li utilize these standard featuresfor operating the air engine or motor indicated at (l. This motormansair valve also has the usual exhaust pipe 2u. d branch pipe 7 passesfrom the emergency line 3 to the inlet pipe 8 ot this engine or motorthrough a double valve 8a and a branch pipe 9 passes tro-1n the ordinaryair line (j to this inlet pipe 8 through this same valve 8a, as seen inFigure 1.

it will be seen that the valve 8a contains a ball t adapted to travelback and torth in the passage 8, so as to be seated either on the seat8d or 8e, according to whether the air enters the casing El through thestraight airline 9 or the eniergency airline 7. W hen the air entersthrough the straight airline it seats the ball 8b in the seat 8e whichallows the air to pass from the casing 8 into the pipe 8 and thence intothe cylinder 1. l3nt when the air enters the casing 8a through theemergency line it sends the ball against the seat tt and then enters.the pipe d. rlhus the ball moves trom one seat to the other and allowsthe air to pass to the pipe l irrespective ot whether the air isreceived from the straight airline or emergency airline 7.

'lhen when the piston in the cylinder 4lis to be returned toward thelett-hand end of cylinder viewed in Fig. 1, by the action ot the spring4t, the air will pass or exhaust from' the cylinder back into the valvecasing 8a and thence into the straight7 airline 9 it that airline is theline from which the air last entered the valve, the ball 8b in that casebeing still seated on the seat 8e. But it the last charge ot air wasfrom the emergency line 7, then the return of the piston would dischargeor exhaust the air from the cylinder through the valve to the pipe Zbecause in that case the ball would then be seated on the seat dd.

and it will further be understood that it.

munication with .the line 6, 9.

' munieation And on the other hand if he had adjusted the valve 1 tosupply air to the emergency line 3, 7, andv later wanted to exhaust airfrom the cylinder he would return the valve 1 to normal osition whichwould open cometween this same conventional exhaust pipe 2a to theemergency line 3, 7.

The 'engine or motor 4 comprises a cylinder and a piston therein towhich latter is connected a' switch device 10 which is actuated therebyto close the solenoid circuit and then to close the magnet brake circuitimmediately after which the solenoid circuit is opened by the furthermovement of the switch device, while the magnet circuit remains closeduntil the then braking operation is completed, when the switch devicereturns to normal position and leaves both circuits open, as willpresently appear.

When such air is introduced into the cylinder behindy the piston itadvances the latter, whereby the switch device 10 is made to contactfirst with the terminals a and Z) of v the solenoid circuit 13, to closethat circuit,

and then to contact with the terminals c and d of the magnet brakecircuit 14 to close that circuit.

With these operations the solenoid circuit is first closed to energizethe solenoid generally indicated in Figure 1 at 15 to cause the corethereof to magnetically operate the devices hereinafter to be describedwhich cause the brake shoes to be positioned within the magnetic fieldto be established between the shoes and the rails, so that the shoeswill thereby be drawn to and against the rails to effect a brakingaction. Then the magnet circuit 14 is closed to energize the magnetscontained in the casing 16, to be hereinafter referred to, to magnetizethe shoes when they are within magnetic distance from the rails so as toset up a magnetic field whereby the shoes will be drawn to and againstthe rails.

In order to return the switch device 10 to normal position when theshoes are to be released fromthe rails the air in the cylinder 4, and inthe pipe lines 3 and 7, or 6 and 9, as the case may be, is exhausted byproperly turning the handle of the valve 1 to permit of the escape ofthis airthrough the exhaust pipe 2a, at which time piston-returningspring 4a acts on the piston a'nd imparts to it a return movement towithdraw the switch-device `10 from the contacts c, d, and a, b, todemagnetize the shoe magnets and solenoid and allow the brake shoes towithdraw from the rails.y

Referring now to Figures 2-6 of the drawings, in which is illustratedthe 1nechanism by which the shoes are suspended at a safe distance awayfrom the rails by which they are re-positioned to a place within themagnetic field to be created between the shoes and the rails. and bywhich the shoes are to be magnetized to create a. magneti(l field asbetween themselves and the rails, so that they will be magneticallybrought into strong Contact with the rails, attention is first directedto Figure 2 where a conventional or other form of railway truck is shownto whose side frame generally indicated at 2O I attach the brakemechanism. The latter comprises a housing` consisting of side plates 21held together by bolts 22 which constitute the cores of the magnets 18.Between the plates 21 I pla-re a casing in the nature of a band of metalshown at 23 and .i

within which I place the wire windings which with the cores 22constitute the niagnets which when energized by an electric currentcreate the magnetic field by reason of the resulting magnetizing of theplates 2l and the shoes 24. These shoes are connected together by straps25 secured to the shoes by bolts 2G, and so may be readily renewed whenworn out or if broken. These `bolts pass through the projecting ends 27of the side plates 21 and down into the threaded openings in the shoesto receive them. The bolts thus connect together the shoes, the sideplates, and the yokes, and render the shoes removable when worn orbroken.

In order to mount the housing, generally indicated at 19, slidably onthe side frame 2() I provide one of the plates 21 with guides 28 whichfit within the ways 29 in the side plates 20 as best shown in Figures 3and 4. This construction also puts the drag strains of the shoes on theside-frame of the truck.

Springs 30 are anchored at their lowei` ends, as shown at 31, to theconnecting straps 25 and at their upper' ends to plates 32 secured tothe transoms 33, with adjusting and locking nuts 34 to adjust thetension of the springs and lock the fastening. One manner of connectingthe springs 30 consists of short bolts 30a secured at one end to theupper end of the springs and other short bolts 30b secured to the lowerend of the springs. Any convenient manner of securing the springs tothese bolts may be employed.

Thus it will be seen that the housing 19 constructed in the mannerbefore described is suspended by the springs 30 so that the connectedshoes 24 may be first held in their normal position as shown in fulllines in Figures 2 and 3; but may be depressed to their next positionindicated by the dotted lines 24 which brings them within the infiuenceof the magnetic field created when the magnets 18 are energized; andfrom lll trainata which position indicated at 2t they are magneticallydrawn down against the top :tace ot the rail as indicated at 24J) inlFigures 2 and 3.

llteiterring again to Figure 6, it will be seen that the chamber withinthe general housing 19 is filled with a water-proof material, which. inpractice is poured into the chamber through an opening 19a and whichmaterial etlectiially protects these magnets l trom water and weatherconditions generally. @ne ot the terminals 20ais grounded and the other2Gb runs to the trolley circuit.

l will now refer to the solenoid mechanism by which the shoes are movedagainst the tension of the springs 30 :trom their normal full lineposition shown in lligure' 3 to their magnetic-held position shown at2da in that ligure and whence they are snapped down to the rails to theposition shown in 24th in said ligure..

t hanger 35 is secured at its ends to the transoins 33 as by bolts andnuts 36, as best seen in. lligure 2. Un this hanger is mounted thesolenoid 37 ot conventional type, such as composed ol a spool 38 onwhich is wound the wire 39 with a core 4-0 within the spool, seated uponacoil spring al whose itunetion is to maintain the core in magneticcontact with the lever 42 so that when the solenoid is energized and thecore is drawn magnetically to its natural position with. respect to thecoil, the core will magnetically draw the lever a2 downward and cause itiii turn to eilect a downward movement oit the lever t3 to depress theshoes 2t against the tension et the springs 30. A connection must'be.termed between the levers l2 and 4?'. Preferably this connectionconsists ot a bolt al whose head rests on the lever i3 through which thebolt passes and whence it passes through the lever 4t2. 19in adjustingnut l5 held by a lock nut t6 makes it possibleto adJust the. relation ofthe levers i2 and i3 so that the levers will be given the appropriatemovement when the core oi? the solenoid is magnetically drawn downwardtalring with it the lever l2 'lPlius it will be seen that mechanism isprovided hy which the shoes are suspended normally at a salte distancetrom the rails, so that they will not iloul with the rails by season ofany up and down motions oit the trucl: due to the travelling ot thewheels over the rails; and yet that the shoes are capable instantly etbeing given a new position by the magnetic action oit a solenoid, thenew position being such that the shoes lare within a magnetic ieldcreated by inagnets associated with the shoe supports so as tomagnetizethese shoes; and troni which latter position the shoes aremagnetically carried to and maintained in forcible contact with therails.

llt will be understood that l desire to coinprehend within my inventionsuch inodilication as may be necessary to adapt it to varyinglconditions and uses.

l-laving thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new anddesire to secure by laettei's Patent, is:

l. ln a rail brake, the combination with brake shoes, mechanism tosuspend the shoes normally a sate distance from the rails, a solenoid toposition the shoes within niagnetic range ot the rails, and electricalmechanism consisting ot magnets to magnetize the slices, whence theshoes are attracted to and against the rails, of a pneumatic motor, aswitch device for controlling said electrical mechanism operatedthereby, an air valve and a pipe line 'from said valve to said pneumaticmotor.

2. ln a rail brake, the combination with brake shoes, mechanism tosuspend the shoes normally a sate distance trom the rails, a solenoid toposition the shoes within magnetic range of the rails, and. electricalmechanism consisting oil magnets to iiiagnetize the shoes, whence theshoes are attracted to and against the rails, ot a pneumatic motorcomprising a cylinder and piston, a switch device lor controlling saidelectrical mechanism-operated by said piston, and air valve and a pipeline trom said valve to said pneumatic cylinder.

3. ln a rail bralre, the combination with liralre shoes, mechanism tosuspend the shoes normally a salle distance trom the rails, a solenoidto position the shoes within magnetic range olf' the rails, andelectrical mechanism consisting ot magnets to magnetiae the shoes,whence the shoes are attracted to and against the rails, oit a pneumaticmotor, a'switch device actuated thereby to open and close the circuitsot said solenoid and magnets, a manually controlled air valve, emergencyand ordinary air lines extending trom said valve to said -pneumaticmotor, wherehy the latter may be operated to actiiate the switch deviceeither when ordinary or emergency bralting is desired.

d.. ln a rail bralre, the combination with bralre shoes, mechanism tosuspend the shoes normally a sate distance trom the rails, a solenoid toposition the shoes within magnetic range oit the rails, electricalmechaiiisin consisting ot magnets to magiietize the slices, whence theshoes are attracted to and against the rails, a solenoid circuitnormally open and a magnet circuit also normally open, ot a switchdevice adapted to close the solenoid circuit and then to close themagnet circuit, a pneumatic motor which so actuates said switch device,a manually operable air valve and an air line from said valve to saidmotor to admit air under pressure to actuate the motor.

5. lln a rail hralre, the combination with liti lill

ltltii lltl brake shoes, mechanism to suspend the shoes normally a safedistance from the rails, a solenoid to position the shoes withinmagnetic range of the rails, and electrical mechanism consisting ofmagnets to magnetize the shoes, whence the shoes are attracted to andagainst the rails, of a pneumatic motor, a switch device for controllingsaid electrical mechanism operated thereby, an air valve, a pipe linefrom said valve to said pneumatic motor, and an exhaust device for saidvalve to permit the return movement of the switch device.

6. In a rail brake, the combination with brake shoes, mechanism tosuspend the shoes normally a safe distance from the rails, a solenoid toposition the shoes Within magnetic range of the rails, electricalmechanism consisting of magnets to magnetize the shoes, whence the shoesare attrac'tcd to and against the rails, a solenoid circuitnormally openand a magnet circuit also normally open, of a switch device adapted toclose the solenoid circuit and then to close the magnet circuit and openthe solenoid` circuit, a pneumatic motor which so actuates said switchdevice, a manually operable air valve, an air line from said valve tosaid motor to admit air under pressure to actuate the motor, and exhaustdevices to permit the return movement of the switch device to open saidcircuits.

ln testimony whereof, l afx my signa ture.

THOMAS ELLOTT.

